It’s the “Month of May” at Indianapolis with Alex Palou, Will Power, Felix Rosenqvist, Jacob Abel and Kyffin Simpson

BRUCE:

This is Roger Penske, and you're listening to Pit Pass Indie, sponsored by Penske Truck Rental. IndyCar fans, it's time to start your engines. Welcome to Pit Pass Indy, a production of Evergreen Podcast. I'm your host, Bruce Martin, a journalist who regularly covers the NTT IndyCar Series. Our goal at Pit Pass Indy is to give racing fans an insider's view of the exciting world of the NTT IndyCar Series in a fast-paced podcast featuring interviews with the biggest names in the sport. I bring nearly 40 years of experience covering IndyCar and NASCAR, working for such media brands as NBCSports.com, SI.com, ESPN SportsTicker, Sports Illustrated, AutoWeek and SpeedSport. So let's drop the green flag on this episode of Pit Pass Indy. Welcome to Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental as we continue our fifth season of giving IndyCar fans an inside look at the most exciting form of racing on the planet, the NTT IndyCar Series. And a big thanks to Penske Truck Rental for helping bring you the inside stories of IndyCar from the paddock to the racetrack to the highways and streets of America. Pit Pass Indy is on the way to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the start of the biggest month of the racing year, the month of May, culminating with the 109th Indianapolis 500 on May 25th. The Indy 500 is more than a race. It's a cultural phenomenon that draws nearly 350,000 fans to the famed Cathedral of Speed, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Rental, will be at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway from start to finish for the month of May, including this weekend's Sanzio Grand Prix on the IMS Road Course. The Sanzio Grand Prix is an action-packed two-day weekend that begins on Friday with practice and qualifications for IndyCar and all the other series on the Road to Indy ladder system. The highlight of Saturday's schedule is the Sanzio Grand Prix, the last race before the Indy 500. The race can be viewed on Fox Sports beginning at 4.30 p.m. Eastern Time. There was actually another race in the month of May, the Children's of Alabama Indy Grand Prix at Barber Motorsports Park on May 4th. Keeping with a trend for the 2025 season, it was the Alex Pelos Show. The Chip Ganassi racing driver, who has won three of the last four NTT IndyCar Series championships, started on the pole and drove away from the field, leading 81 laps in the 90-lap race at Barber Motorsports Park to win the 14th race of his IndyCar career. It was also Palou's third victory in the first four IndyCar Series races this season. Palou has a 60 point lead over the driver that finished in second place at Barber, Christian Lungard of Arrow McLaren, after just four races this season. It was also another green flag race without a caution period. The only yellow flag this season was for laps one through five in the season opening race, the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on March 2nd. The rest of that race was completed without a yellow flag, and the last three races, including the Thermo Club, the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, and this past Sunday at Barber Motorsports Park, have run from start to finish without a caution. While that is a very unusual trend, it allows for pure racing favoring the best cars and drivers in the field. And there was nobody better than Alex Palou, who continues his rapid ascent to IndyCar stardom. Palou tells us how he did it in this exclusive Pit Pass Indy interview after the Children's of Alabama Indy Grand Prix at Barber Motorsports Park. Hello, Alex. Hello, Bruce. This is getting to be old hat. It's now the third time out of four races this season that we're interviewing you as the winner. I'm going to have to start renaming this segment the Alex Palou Show. But hey, you had, as you called it, a perfect weekend, a perfect race. You started on the pole. You pretty much ran away from the field. What has been the secret to your success in 2025?

ALEX:

I don't know, man. I wish I would know exactly what it is. I think we've been working amazingly. Everybody behind the scenes at Chip Ganassi Racing, at HRC, and myself, I've been trying to push as much as possible to try and get more performance, right? To be a little bit better every day. every time we show up, and it's been working, so it's amazing. As I said, it was probably one of my best races, or probably my best race, where I just felt really comfortable with the car. I was able to get lap time from both compounds, and we were able to stay up front all day.

BRUCE:

For a driver who has won 14 races since 2021 and three IndyCar Series championships, including the last two in a row, that's really saying something if you call this your best race weekend.

ALEX:

Yes, I mean, it's just been since qualifying, like, getting pulse is really tough in IndyCar, and to get that on the last moment yesterday felt amazing. And today, yeah, I just felt great with the car. The car was amazing, the stops. It was caution free so we were able just to focus on ourselves and the way we go by traffic as well. There's sometimes where even if we're P1 we're not able to get through traffic and I think today was super important to get through traffic quick so we could still extend the gap lap by lap.

BRUCE:

Do you have a sense of just how historic this run is that you're on right now?

ALEX:

I have a sense of how special it is, I don't know how historic it is, but it's for sure super special and we know, we know, everybody in the tank car knows that we're in a really cool and sweet moment.

BRUCE:

Well, it's the month of May and we begin at Barber Motorsports Park, but in a couple of days we all resume here at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. You began the month of May with a victory and I'm sure you want to end the month of May with a victory, because that's the biggest victory of all if you can win the

ALEX:

109th Indianapolis 500. Absolutely, that's the goal. That's all we think about at Chief Ganassi Racing. That's all I have in my mind, although I'm focusing on every race weekend we have, like Barber, Indy Road Course, then Qualifying Week, but then the ultimate goal for this month is to win the Indy 500. And yeah, I can't wait to get started there. I mean, we had a small hint during the open test where I just got super excited. I think everybody was like thinking that it was race week. But yeah, we just need to wait a couple more days.

BRUCE:

The 2025 season is known for two things. Your great start, three victories out of the first four races and the fact we haven't seen a yellow flag since lap six of the first race of the season. How much does that amaze you that in that many races since there has not been a single caution? Crazy.

ALEX:

Yeah, I actually said that today In my team, I said that there was going to be a caution. I thought there was going to be at least one caution. It's a track that you can get trapped very well, very easily, sorry. And it's a track that allows you to dive in, like in Turn 5 and maybe a little bit in Turn 8. And I thought there was going to be a caution. I think that speaks out of the level of IndyCar right now. I think the hybrid is allowing us to restart sometimes when we have issues on track. And I think it's great. It's great to have less cautions. It's not going to be for long. think at Indy road course we're going to have, but for sure at the 500 we're going to have quotients.

BRUCE:

I'm not so sure that IndyCar has a yellow flag problem. They have an Alex Palou problem because you're just too good. And that's pretty much leaving the rest of your competitors red with envy. In a lot of ways, that's got to be exactly what you want. It is.

ALEX:

It is. It's exactly the position you want to be. Yeah, I mean, it just feels great to be able to start a season with three wins in the first four races, four podiums, and with the feeling that we can still keep it going. That's the feeling we have.

BRUCE:

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway chooses the winner of the Indianapolis 500. Do you sometimes sit and think, I can get off to this fantastic start of the season and get to Indy, and then something completely out of my control, unexpected, can determine the outcome of that race?

ALEX:

Yes, yes and no. I think it chooses the winner for sure, but it chooses the winner amongst the people that are fighting for the win, I think. There's been some instances, but we've seen that people that have won there, maybe that day they were not in positions to win, but they became champions again afterwards. So, yes, we just need to put ourselves in a position for the track to choose us.

BRUCE:

Your career is still on an upward trajectory. How much higher can it go? I don't know. Hopefully very high. Well, Mark, his words, Alex Polo is certainly on a rapid rise. So he continues his success, especially with the victory here in the Children's of Alabama Indy Grand Prix at Barber Motorsports Park. Congratulations on that big victory, the 14th of your career. Good luck in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the month of May. And thank you for joining us on Pit Pass Indy. Thank you, Bruce. We'll be right back to Pit Pass Indy after this short break.

WILL:

This is Will Power of Team Penske, and you're listening to Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Rental.

BRUCE:

Welcome back to Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Rental. After a quick stop in Alabama, IndyCar returns to its home in Indianapolis to prepare for the 109th Indianapolis 500 on May 25th. Team Penske's willpower won the Indy 500 in 2018, and he is also a five-time winner on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, making him one of the drivers to watch in Saturday's Sanzio Grand Prix. Power has won the Sanzio Grand Prix in 2015, 2017, and 2018. He also won the Harvest Grand Prix on October 3, 2020, and the Big Machine Spiked Coolers Grand Prix on August 14, 2021, on the 2.439-mile IMS road course. Power has reasons to feel confident and excited heading into the month of May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, as he tells me in this exclusive Pit Pass Indy interview. It's time to visit the neighbor. Will Power, Team Penske, will? It's May. We all know what that means. How excited are you that it's May?

WILL:

Yeah, very excited. Very excited to get going here. Let's say a lot of races in a row, if you include qualifying weekends. I love that. Get in a groove, keep rolling. Don't let any of those negative thoughts creep in. Just all good stuff.

BRUCE:

Not only is the month of May important because you get to kick it off at the Barber Motorsports Park, which seems to be a pretty good course. You had some success here early on. You still have success here in many ways. Then it rolls into the IndyCar Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Sancio Grand Prix, I believe it is now. But of course, the goal is the 109th Indianapolis 500. You won that race in 2018. You want to win it every year, but how driven are you to win it a second time?

WILL:

Very driven, very driven. It's probably tougher than ever to win. There's more people that can win it in the series, so I think it'll be a... It'll be a hard-fought race, as usual, and unpredictable. Unpredictable, you never know, but I feel like we've got the speed, we've got good cars. I think people will have caught up. So it won't be as easy as last year in qualifying. But yeah, it's... It's something we're all looking forward to.

BRUCE:

Last year, even without some of your key people working for the whole overall operation, because of the suspension that had happened with the disqualifications from St. Petersburg, you swept the front row. All three drivers were on the front row for the Indianapolis 500. That only happened one other time in the race's history, and that was also Team Penske that did it. Do you believe it's realistic that you can sweep the front row again this year?

WILL:

I do believe it's realistic. I think that is certainly possible. I think we've improved from last year, but I think other people have as well. and you never know how that whole process plays out and issues, but it is absolutely possible for us to do that again.

BRUCE:

What have you learned since your victory in 2018 in the Indy 500s that have ensued after that, how the dynamic of the race has changed a little bit? The year you won it, it was kind of a tactical race, because the way the aerodynamic forces on the car were, now it just seems to be an outright slugfest, especially in the closing laps.

WILL:

It's definitely, you've got to put yourself in the position to be fighting for that, or you just don't have a shot. So that's the first thing you've got to do, because if you're back third, fourth, fifth, you're out of the game. So you've got to put yourself in that position to start with.

BRUCE:

Now you're a driver who's very smart but also very aggressive. Do you find yourself at the Indianapolis 500 sometimes making bolder moves than you normally would?

WILL:

They're always calculated. It depends on the significance of the move. If it's the last lap, you're probably definitely willing to take a bit more of a risk, but that's probably the case in a few different situations, like a championship run or something like that at the end of the year. It depends on when it is.

BRUCE:

Do you sometimes see a hole and say, I don't know if I'm going to make it through it, but I've got to see if I can?

WILL:

You don't do that. If you're thinking, I don't know if I'm going to make it through, unless it's the last lap. I mean, you're not. Because, you know, the mentality changes. You understand if someone's racing you as well, like if that's the person going for that gap, that they're probably not going to lift. So it has to be in the right situation.

BRUCE:

Have you seen other drivers in front of you or behind you do that?

WILL:

I do see people around me, particularly young guys, going for moves that they're just not sure if it'll work, but I'm just gonna do it anyway.

BRUCE:

Do you sit there and think to yourself inside the helmet, that guy's an idiot?

WILL:

Yeah, definitely have had those thoughts a few times.

BRUCE:

I'm sure you probably thought of a few other terms, but you probably can't repeat them on here.

WILL:

Yeah, no. Yeah.

BRUCE:

But anyway, you came to the Indianapolis 500 for the first time as a fan back when you were running in Champ Car. Yeah. You were amazed at the crowd. You were amazed at the event. But here you are, two, three decades later, and you're still running in the race. How big a deal does it remain to Will Power?

WILL:

It would be tremendous to win again. It really would.

BRUCE:

Well, Will Power, hopefully you get that shot once again here on May 25th. Good luck on the 109th Indianapolis 500. Good luck in the 2025 NTT IndyCar Series season. And thank you for joining us today on Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental.

WILL:

God, thanks, Bruce.

BRUCE:

Felix Rosenquist returns to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with Meyer Schenck Racing. The driver from Sweden is fast and steady and has shown plenty of speed in 2025, but continues to search for that elusive second-career IndyCar win. Let's spend a few minutes with Felix Rosenquist on this exclusive PitPass Indy interview. A favorite has returned now to Pit Pass Indy. It's Felix Rosenquist of Meyers Schenck Racing. Felix, it's the month of May. We all know what that means. Getting ready for the 109th Indianapolis 500. How excited are you that the month of May is finally here?

FELIX:

Yeah, I feel like it's been quite a calm start to the year. It's been, you know, one race and then a little break, one race, a little break. So I think we're all ready for a little change of pace going into the month of May. And it's, as you say, probably a more busy May than in a long time at least, at least the part I've done. But it's cool. I think it's a great thing to start over here in Barber. It's, you know, a place everyone, the fans like to come here, the drivers like to be here, and kind of having Indy in the background as a looming final boss, I guess.

BRUCE:

Of course, this race will already be over by the time this interview airs. Between Barber and the Indianapolis 500 will be this weekend's race at the Indy Grand Prix. How do you like that race course, and how do you like the way things have gone for you in that particular race?

FELIX:

It's been kind of mixed for me at IndyGP. I think it's a track I've always been fast at. Had two poles and a lot of front rows as well. The races have been... I think I've had a few top fives, but nothing spectacular. So still looking to get that kind of breakthrough result at IndyGP. Yeah, it's a tough one. It's always a bit... a bit of a tire saver, strategy race. But I think we have a good shot this year. I know that our partners Genaste have had a good car there in the past, and Alex has had some really good performances there, so I think we can have a pretty good one.

BRUCE:

You've had speed, you've had speed in practice, you've had speed in qualifying, you've shown speed in the race. What will it take for Felix Rosenquist to put it all together and win another race?

FELIX:

I think I should say it's about putting it all together and I think this year we've been better than in the past in the races. It's something we worked very hard on in the off-season, and I think it's actually paid off already. I think, you know, the race has actually kind of been a strong suit this year compared to qualifying, even if we've been good in qualifying as well. So I think we have a pretty well-rounded package at the moment, and that's kind of what you need to get the chance to go for a win when the opportunity comes.

BRUCE:

You're driving for a team that won the Indianapolis 500 with Elio Castroneves in 2021, so you know they can build a car capable of winning that race. How much confidence does that give you?

FELIX:

Oh, massive. I think, honestly, they build some of the best cars in the field, especially when it comes to the IMS. And as you say, Elio won it five years ago. And every time we show up there, I feel like we have a good shot. And the guys put a lot of work into the 500 car, which is a specific car, obviously, that just kind of sits in the off-season, and they bring it back for the 500. And I love my car there, so I think, you know, Yeah, great opportunity again.

BRUCE:

Elio's one of the partners of the team. Now you're going to get a chance to race wheel-to-wheel with him again. He will be competing in the 109th Indianapolis 500 as he attempts to become the first five-time winner of that race. What's it like when he gets his helmet back on and gets in a race car?

FELIX:

It's pretty impressive. He seemed to make that switch pretty effortlessly. I guess it's like riding a bike for him, which is pretty impressive because These cars are pretty hard to drive these days, especially after they added a hybrid. They're tough to handle, it's tough to stay at the limit and be at the limit without making a mistake. I was really impressed, especially this year when he jumped in at the practice and he was just up to speed immediately and he was fighting in the pack. I think he was actually one of the strongest cars as well, so pretty impressive.

BRUCE:

What did you learn about the car and the way it handles with the hybrid assist unit at the Indy 500 Open Test back in April?

FELIX:

I think it's more difficult. That's probably the best way to describe it. It's extra weight. Weight is always going to make it more difficult. I wouldn't say that's one specific axle. You would think the rear would be more upset by having all the weight in the back, but it's actually just... harder in general, like the front axle and the rear axle. You're fighting more for grip and you're flirting more with the edge, which, you know, will probably generate more mistakes, but maybe also generate more caution behind the wheel and drivers being a bit more careful. So we'll see how it plays out, but I think overall it's more difficult.

BRUCE:

Does it want to swap ends because of the extra weight?

FELIX:

I mean, normally when you break the limit of grip, you would swap ends. But as I said, I don't think it's necessarily looser. It might be for some drivers and cars, but I think it's just more like sliding more front and rear.

BRUCE:

And final question for Felix Rosenquist of Meyers Schenck Racing. Each year when you return to the Indianapolis 500, you've got one more year of experience. How much better suited are you for that race now this year than last year?

FELIX:

Yeah, that's right. I think every year you, the IMS specifically, you just find something new and different, where the other tracks that go to like Barber, for example, I think it's like a clean sheet every time you come here, because it's a different package, whatever. But the IMS, you just feel like more complete every time you get back.

BRUCE:

Felix Rosenquist, Meyers Schenck Racing. Good luck in this year's 109th Indianapolis 500. Good luck during the month of May, and thank you for joining us on Pit Pass Indy. Thank you very much. In his second IndyCar season, Kiffin Simpson had one of his best qualification efforts of his brief career when he was 10th at Barber on Saturday. Although he finished 21st in the race, Simpson continues to learn how to be an IndyCar driver at Chip Ganassi Racing with his teammates, six-time IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon and three-time IndyCar Series champion Alex Palou. The team also has an engineering and technical alliance with Meyers Schenck Racing, which means Simpson can learn from those three drivers, including Felix Rosenquist, Marcus Armstrong, and four-time Indy 500 winner Elio Castroneves. Here is a quick interview with Simpson for Pit Pass Indy. Back for his second Indianapolis 500, it's Kiffin Simpson of Chip Ganassi Racing. Kiffin, going into the Indianapolis 500 this May, you've already experienced what it's like in the race. How valuable is that experience going into it this year?

KIFFIN:

Yeah, it's huge. I mean, just with the little bit of testing we had at the Indy Open test, I've immediately felt so much more comfortable knowing what to expect and knowing kind of how to drive the track and how to drive the car. So I think once we get into the thick of it in May, it'll be a much easier experience for me relative to last year. And just looking forward to kind of bringing my experience from last year into the race this year.

BRUCE:

How much do you pick up just having conversations with your two teammates, Alex Flo and Scott Dixon?

KIFFIN:

Yeah, it's huge. I mean, we've also got the little bit of experience with Elio around, which doesn't hurt at all. So having him on the MSR team is very helpful and trying to learn from him as well as Scott and Alex. And I think it's going to be a good month for us.

BRUCE:

And what did you learn at the Indy 500 Open Test, the two days of testing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway a couple of weeks ago?

KIFFIN:

Yeah, it was an interesting test. It was nice to have the half day of quali running, I think was very interesting. I think that was quite helpful for us, getting a couple of quali runs in. I think we were one of few cars that actually got a full run in, so that was quite nice. And it seemed like we had pretty solid cars. I think, as a team, we struggled a little bit last year, but they did a lot of really good work over the off-season and we're feeling really good this year. So how excited are you that May is here? Yeah, so excited. I think yesterday was May 1st, obviously, and just when I saw May on the calendar, I was like, oh, finally, we're back. And just can't wait to get to the Speedway.

BRUCE:

Well, Kiffin Simpson, good luck at the 109th Indianapolis 500. We'll chat with you some more throughout the month of May. Thank you for joining us today on Pit Pass Indy. Thank you. We'll be right back to Pit Pass Indy after this short break.

JOSEF:

Hey everyone, this is two-time Indy 500 winner, Josef Newgarden, and you're listening to Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental.

BRUCE:

Welcome back to Pit Pass Indy. The month of May ends with the 109th Indianapolis 500 on Memorial Day weekend, but it begins with another famed sporting event that also showcases horsepower. It's the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. On May 3rd, the 151st Kentucky Derby took place in front of 147,000 fans who sat through the rain and saw Sovereignty defeat 18 other thoroughbreds to win the most famous horse race in the world. We wrap up today's Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental with the only driver in IndyCar who is from Louisville. It's Kentucky's own Jacob Abel, who grew up watching the Derby and going to Kentucky Derby parties that make Derby Week in Louisville a tremendous experience. It's 126 miles from Churchill Downs in Louisville to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but the two venues share a connection through history. The 24-year-old Abel is in his rookie season in the NTT IndyCar Series with Dale Coyne Racing. Abel joins me for this exclusive Pit Pass Indy interview talking about how special both the Kentucky Derby and the Indianapolis 500 are to him. It's Derby weekend, so it's only fitting that we have Louisville's own Jacob Abel joining us now. Jacob, when is the last time you've missed a Derby weekend in Louisville?

JACOB:

I think I actually missed it last year as well because I was in Indy running the Indy Mini. So I love Derby. I love this time of year in Louisville and especially this time of year in Indianapolis as well. It's pretty awesome. And yeah, I can't wait to get going with the the real race cars and the ones with more than one horsepower.

BRUCE:

Generally, IndyCar doesn't have another race in May except for the Indy Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indianapolis 500. The way the calendar falls this year, Memorial Day is actually a week earlier. So there is a race now at Barber Motorsports Park in May. But when you think about the month of May, obviously, everybody thinks about the Indianapolis 500. And how long have you waited for this month to finally get here?

JACOB:

Yeah, you know, forever, to be honest. I think I was digging through old photos. I think my first Indianapolis 500 was 2012, 2013, I think, was the first time I went as a fan. I've been pretty much every year since. So it's cool. I feel like I do have a true appreciation for what that race is and what that month is. I've been there in many different capacities. Able Motorsports had a team and I was able to be a part of that. I've been an Indian X driver at that race a ton and all of that. To finally be a proper driver in it is a really special experience and something that I'm really looking forward to.

BRUCE:

Technically, you're only a rookie once. That is, if you make the starting lineup, you'll be a rookie. Hopefully, you do make the starting lineup, because there's only 34 cars entered in the race. But the old saying, you're a rookie once. So how daunting is it as a rookie for your very first Indianapolis 500?

JACOB:

Yeah, the open test itself was pretty intense. You know, we got through the ROP program, which I think with the hybrid now is a little bit more difficult, just because the cars are a little bit slower. So to get those last, phases complete is a little bit tough, but the really tricky part was about 12 hours after that, we got thrown straight into qualifying boosts. You know, I'd only had about 30, 40 laps on the track before that, and that was pretty intense. You know, that's something that you usually save till fast Friday when you have a bunch of time already, but I think looking back, it was a really good experience. It was a really good thing to get a feel for before we actually get there for qualifying week, and it gives us something to look at in the weeks leading up to that.

BRUCE:

Every race leading into the 109th Indianapolis 500 has either been on a street course or a road course. To be able to get out on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval for the first time and really just let it fly. How gratifying and satisfying was that? Because in a lot of ways, it's all about trimming it out and going for speed.

JACOB:

Yeah, it was awesome. I think, you know, a lot of people spend a lot of time working in traffic and really trying to get in a pack. That's something that's not as coordinated in the smaller series or in Indynex, so it was nice. It was almost like, you know, a race running and just getting in a huge, you know, 15, 20-car pack, essentially, and being able to work through the ebbs and flows and kind of how that train moves, so that was a really good experience to get. Obviously, we have a lot of work to do and a lot more to learn and we have a lot of things we want to try so we do still have a week to do that before qualifying and I'm really looking forward to it.

BRUCE:

a normal oval, it's really a four-cornered oval with some precision turns. So do you see that coming into play when you're out there, or does it still feel like an oval to you?

JACOB:

I think so. I mean, it still felt like an oval to me, for sure. It is a little bit different, though, absolutely, than any oval I've ever raced on. I've been able to race on a fair few of them by this point in my career, and yeah, nothing is truly like Indy. The turns aren't very banked, right? We did a test at Texas. It's the same, similar speeds to Indy, but you have a lot of banking that's holding you there. We've done tracks like Milwaukee that don't have banking either, and that's... you're just going, like, half the speed. So, yeah, Indy is definitely special. It is definitely its own beast, but I think some of the oval things that I've learned in the past will apply for sure, and that goes the same with the road course stuff, too, because it is a little bit unique.

BRUCE:

It's a lot of 45-degree turns, too, rather than sweeping radius turns.

JACOB:

Right, for sure.

BRUCE:

Now, when you run in traffic as a rookie, How challenging is that? What is different about running in traffic there, obviously the speeds, than it is running on a road course when you're in traffic?

JACOB:

Yeah, I think the biggest thing is just how far back you actually do feel the dirty air. You know, we're going 200, 230 miles per hour, so the dirty air you get when you're 15, 20 cars back. It's pretty crazy. So, you know, I'm still working up to it in the way of closing those gaps, trying to get as close as possible, and I did have some good race running there at the end of the test, and something that I felt very, very comfortable with, which was good, and I think it'll give us a good place to start in May.

BRUCE:

DelCoin Racing has done very well at the Indianapolis 500. It's one of the smaller teams in the series, but as I've said to you in previous interviews, the team's able to make a lot out of a little. So how legitimate do you see your prospects in the Indianapolis 500 in terms of Do you see yourself top 10 possibly? Or obviously the goal is to go out there and win. Probably would take some circumstances for that to happen with you being a rookie. But what do you see as legitimate goals for this year's Indianapolis 500?

JACOB:

Yeah, I think the Indianapolis 500 is unlike any other race, truly. So I think just going out there qualifying the car well, getting it well in the show with no worries and just going out there and for those first few laps, first few pit stop sequences, really just going through the motions and being consistent and just getting comfortable with everything. I think a successful Indy 500 for us is is honestly finishing the race, I think would just be a huge thing in itself. I think the other rookies are in similar scenarios in their cars. We saw Rahal was pretty quick at the test, so they might have a little bit of something as well, but that's always something that you're looking at too, is I'd love to be the rookie of the year. That's a big goal for mine for the Indy 500. That's something that is on your resume forever. You said you're only a rookie once, you only have one chance at that thing. So that would definitely be a goal, but I think at the end of the day, it's just trying to get through it cleanly and comfortably.

BRUCE:

Now, you haven't raced on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway before in an Indy car. You do have experience, though, on the Indy road course in Indy Next. Before the Indianapolis 500 will be this weekend's Indy Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. How do you like that course, and what do you expect to do there?

JACOB:

Yeah, I love that track. I think these two tracks, you know, Barber Motorsports Park and the IMS Road Courses are both tracks that I won at last year. I got pole positions at both of them. So they're both tracks that I have a lot of experience at and feel very confident at. And they're also both tracks that we have done a test day at. So, you know, I hope that we'll be able to roll off a little bit better than we have the past few weekends and, you know, hopefully be able to move up the field and have some of our better results.

BRUCE:

As we said at the beginning of this interview, you're from Louisville. We're doing this interview the weekend of the Kentucky Derby. What would a normal Kentucky Derby weekend be like for you and your family?

JACOB:

Yeah, you know, the Kentucky Derby, it's a lot of local people from Louisville actually say they stay as far away from the track as they can during Derby weekend. I wouldn't say we're always one of them. I've been to the Derby a handful of times, but You know, the track gets crazy that time of year. You know, Derby week for us is always really, really intense. There's races going on every single day, Monday through Saturday. And, you know, we're out there entertaining clients and going through things like that. So when Derby Day itself rolls around, it's almost nice to just hang out at home. And that's where the best show is. But no, I have been before and I do love the Derby. What kind of parties would you guys throw at home? Man, I remember going to derby parties from when I was as young as I can remember, you know, even things like, you know, picking horses out of a hat, things like that. It's, you know, I remember going to derby parties forever.

BRUCE:

The one thing that people remember when they go to their first Indianapolis 500 is the incredible sound of 33 IndyCars at speed taking the green flag to start the race. But I gotta tell you, when you hear 20 horses, 20 thoroughbreds at full gallop... That's kind of a spine-tingling experience, too.

JACOB:

It's a very unique sound. It's intense. The sheer force that they are putting into the ground is intense, and you can feel it in your chest. Also, you know, with the derby, you can almost get a little bit closer to the horses than you can the cars, so to hear them coming down, it's pretty insane. It's the same thing as the 500. It's like there are hundreds of thousands of people there, but you can still hear the horses every step, and that's a pretty special thing.

BRUCE:

The month of May is always very special to those of us who grew up in Indiana or who are from Indiana or live in Indiana, but yet it's got to be pretty cool for a kid from Kentucky because the month of May opens in Kentucky and it closes in Indiana. So just how special is that?

JACOB:

for you? Absolutely, yeah. You know, like I said, I think that it is my favorite time of the year by far, whether it be all the Derby Festival things that go on in Louisville and that all starts, you know, mid to late April and then the Derby, obviously, and then you run straight into the NDGP and then qualifying in the race. It's, you know, basically nonstop and it's a really proper kickoff to the summer season with all of the racing that there is there.

BRUCE:

And of course, I'd be remiss, but I have to ask you this. Who are you putting money down for the winning horse?

JACOB:

Man, I am so bad. I haven't even looked at the lineup yet. I know there's something about the horse in stall 17, whatever his name was. I know that hasn't won before, and I think it's a pretty good horse in it that year. So whichever horse is in stall 17.

BRUCE:

So because this airs after the Derby is concluded, we'll find out whether your pick was right or not.

JACOB:

I love it, that'd be pretty cool.

BRUCE:

But Jacob Abel, good luck in the month of May at the Indianapolis 500. Good luck here at Barber Motorsports Park, although we'll already know how that race ended once this interview airs. And thank you for joining us on Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental. Thank you. We'll be right back to Pit Pass Indy after this short break.

SCOTT:

Hi, I'm Scott McLaughlin, driver of the number three team Penske Chevy, and you're listening to Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Rental.

BRUCE:

And that puts a checkered flag on this edition of Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Rental. We want to thank our guests, the winner of the Children's of Alabama Indy Grand Prix at Barber Motorsports Park, Alex Below of Chip Ganassi Racing, 2018 Indianapolis 500 winner Will Power of Team Penske, Felix Rosenquist of Meyer Schenck Racing, Kiffin Simpson of Chip Ganassi Racing, and Jacob Abel of Dale Coyne Racing for joining us on today's podcast. Along with loyal listeners like you, our guests help make Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Rental, your path to victory lane in IndyCar. On the highways, the raceways, and every pit stop in between, Penske Truck Rental keeps you moving forward. Gain ground with Penske. For more IndyCar coverage, follow me at X, previously known as Twitter, at BruceMartin, one word, uppercase B, uppercase M, underscore 500. Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental is gearing up for the start of a big month of May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the 109th Indianapolis 500. We will have regular and bonus episodes all month thanks to our friends from Penske Truck Rental and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Tickets are going fast for the 109th Indianapolis 500 on May 25th as it gets closer to selling out. So get yours today before all grandstand seats are sold. Contact the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Ticket Office at 317-492-6700 or visit ims.com. This has been a production of Evergreen Podcast. A special thanks to our production team, executive producers are Bridget Poyn and Gerardo Orlando. Recordings and edits were done by me, Bruce Martin, and final mixing was done by Dave Douglas. Learn more at evergreenpodcast.com. Until next time, be sure to keep it out of the wall.